HR Orion’s Bold Huntress (aka “Tess“) is out of my HR Orion’s Quattro CGC by GMPR Cashman’s Super Trooper MH. Trooper is a yellow Lab who has excelled in AKC hunt tests, Pointing Retriever trials, and most importantly in the field. He is a compact solidly built dog. He weighs about 68 lbs. in hunting condition, yet he gives the impression of being a bigger dog due to his thick body and blocky head. Trooper’s pedigree reveals a diverse lineage which contains AKC field trial dogs, British field trial dogs, and South Dakota and Minnesota hunting dogs. More importantly, both of his parents are known to be great producers of sound hunting Labs. For more information on Trooper please click on this link: www.cashmankennels.com/S__trooper.html. For more information on Quattro, please refer to her profile under the “Our Females“ tab.

Tess was a great puppy! She consistently demonstrated intelligence and common sense often missing in much older dogs. She rarely misbehaved and when she did it was simply due to her youthful energy and just “being a puppy“. When Tess was only 4 months old my wife, son, and I went on a two week vacation leaving my 77 year old mother at home to take care of the dogs. Mom wasn’t too concerned about caring for the older dogs because she knew them, but she had some concern over caring for young Tess because she hadn’t had time to get to know her yet. One evening, several days into our trip, I was talking on the phone with Mom to see how things were going. She told me tales of the dog’s exploits, saying “Nova has been doing this, and Q has been doing that, and Tess . . . Tess is Wonderful!“ It seemed that Tess was always nearby and ready to comply with whatever my Mother requested. Many pups might have taken advantage of a new inexperienced caregiver, but Tess was happy to be a “team player“, even at such a tender age.

Tess is now in her prime and has blossomed into a stunning example of what an Orion Labrador retriever should be! She stands 22.5 inches tall at the withers and weighs about 65 lbs. Physically, she is balanced and well proportioned in her structure. She is sound, well muscled, and very solidly built. She moves with ease, agility, and endurance. She has demonstrated great marking ability, a good nose, and great lining and handling traits. Tess quarters the field as well as any Lab with which I’ve hunted. Most of the behaviors I expect in a good hunting dog seem to be pre-programmed in her genes. You simply have to put her in a training situation that triggers those behaviors and in short order she is getting the job done!

Pups from Tess’s first two litters have been exceptional. Her daughters Beamer and Remi have Penn Hip scores that rank them in the 90th and >90th percentiles. As I write this Tess’s third litter is on the ground and they look as if they’ll be another stellar group. I believe Tess will make a lasting positive impact on my breeding program. My Mother summed it up very well: Tess is Wonderful!!!